Early Events in Retinal Degeneration Caused by Rhodopsin Mutation or Pigment Epithelium Malfunction: Differences and Similarities

To study the course of photoreceptor cell death and macro and microglial reactivity in two rat models of retinal degeneration with different etiologies. Retinas from P23H-1 (rhodopsin mutation) and Royal College of Surgeon (RCS, pigment epithelium malfunction) rats and age-matched control animals (Sprague-Dawley and Pievald Viro Glaxo, respectively) were cross-sectioned at different postnatal ages (from P10 to P60) and rhodopsin, L/M- and S-opsin, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) proteins were immunodetected. Photoreceptor nuclei rows and microglial cells in the different retinal layers were quantified. Photoreceptor degeneration starts earlier and progresses quicker in P23H-1 than in RCS rats. In both models, microglial cell activation occurs simultaneously with the initiation of photoreceptor death while GFAP over-expression starts later. As degeneration progresses, the numbers of microglial cells increase in the retina, but decreasing in the inner retina and increasing in the outer retina, more markedly in RCS rats. Interestingly, and in contrast with healthy animals, microglial cells reach the outer nuclei and outer segment layers. The higher number of microglial cells in dystrophic retinas cannot be fully accounted by intraretinal migration and PCNA immunodetection revealed microglial proliferation in both models but more importantly in RCS rats. The etiology of retinal degeneration determines the initiation and pattern of photoreceptor cell death and simultaneously there is microglial activation and migration, while the macroglial response is delayed. The actions of microglial cells in the degeneration cannot be explained only in the basis of photoreceptor death because they participate more actively in the RCS model. Thus, the retinal degeneration caused by pigment epithelium malfunction is more inflammatory and would probably respond better to interventions by inhibiting microglial cells.Fundación Séneca, Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología Región de Murcia (19881/GERM/15) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional “Una Manera de Hacer Europa” ISCIII-FEDER PI16/00380, PI16/00031, RD16/0008/0026, RD16/0008/0016, SAF2015-67643

Tracing the retina to analyze the integrity and phagocytic capacity of the retinal pigment epithelium

We have developed a new technique to study the integrity, morphology and functionality of the retinal neurons and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Young and old control albino (Sprague-Dawley) and pigmented (Piebald Virol Glaxo) rats, and dystrophic albino (P23H-1) and pigmented (Royal College of Surgeons) rats received a single intravitreal injection of 3% Fluorogold (FG) and their retinas were analyzed from 5 minutes to 30 days later. Retinas were imaged in vivo with SD-OCT and ex vivo in flat-mounts and in cross-sections. Fifteen minutes and 24 hours after intravitreal administration of FG retinal neurons and the RPE, but no glial cells, were labeled with FG-filled vesicles. The tracer reached the RPE 15 minutes after FG administration, and this labeling remained up to 30 days. Tracing for 15 minutes or 24 hours did not cause oxidative stress. Intraretinal tracing delineated the pathological retinal remodelling occurring in the dystrophic strains. The RPE of the P23H-1 strain was highly altered in aged animals, while the RPE of the RCS strain, which is unable to phagocytose, did not accumulate the tracer even at young ages when the retinal neural circuit is still preserved. In both dystrophic strains, the RPE cells were pleomorphic and polymegathic.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional “Una manera de hacer Europa” (PI16/00031, PI16/00380, PI19/00071, PI19/00203, SAF2015-67643-P, RD16/0008, RD16/0008/0026 and RD16/0008/0016) and by the Fundación Séneca, Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología Región de Murcia (19881/GERM/15)

Medical versus surgical approach to initial treatment in septic arthritis: A single spanish center’s 8-year experience

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the functional results of 2 different procedure types, medical or surgical used in treating native joint septic arthritis. Methods In this cohort study, we reviewed the clinical registries of patients admitted to a single third-level hospital with the diagnosis of septic arthritis during the period of January 1, 2008, to January 31, 2016. Results A total of 63 cases of septic arthritis were identified in which the initial approach for 49 patients was medical (arthrocentesis), whereas the initial approach for 14 patients was surgical (arthroscopy or arthrotomy). Of the 49 patients who received initial medical treatment (IMT), 15 patients (30%) later required surgical treatment because of poor progress. The median age of the patients was 60 (SD, 18) years. The group who received IMT were older than those who received initial surgical treatment (median, 64 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 54–76 years], vs. 48 years [IQR, 30–60 years]). There was a larger percentage of male patients in the surgical group (78% vs. 42% [p = 0.018]). Thirty percent of the medical group had been receiving corticosteroid treatment (p = 0.018). Results of complete recovery of joint functionality showed no significant differences after 1 year (68% with MT vs. 67% with ST, p = 0.91). Both groups had similar symptom duration until diagnosis, duration of antibiotic therapy (median, 30 days [IQR, 28–49 days], vs. 29.5 days [IQR, 27–49] days), and mortality rate (3 in the medical group). Conclusions The results of the study show that initial surgical treatment in patients with native joint septic arthritis is not superior to IMT. However, half of the patients with shoulder and hip infections treated with IMT eventually required surgical intervention, suggesting that perhaps this should be the preferred initial approach in these cases

Primary care randomized clinical trial: manual therapy effectiveness in comparison with TENS in patients with neck pain

This study investigated effectiveness of manual therapy (MT) with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to reduce pain intensity in patients with mechanical neck disorder (MND). A randomized multi-centered controlled clinical trial was performed in 12 Primary Care Physiotherapy Units in Madrid Region. Ninety patients were included with diagnoses of subacute or chronic MND without neurological damage, 47 patients received MT and 43 TENS. The primary outcome was pain intensity measured in millimeters using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Also disability, quality of life, adverse effects and sociodemographic and prognosis variables were measured. Three evaluations were performed (before, when the procedure ?nished and six months after). Seventy-one patients (79%) completed the follow-up measurement at six months. In more than half of the treated patients the procedure had a clinically relevant ?short term? result after having ended the intervention, when either MT or TENS was used. The success rate decreased to one-third of the patients 6 months after the intervention. No differences can be found in the reduction of pain, in the decrease of disability nor in the quality of life between both therapies. Both analyzed physiotherapy techniques produce a short-term pain reduction that is clinically relevant.Ministerio de SanidadInstituto de Salud Carlos II

El proceso penal del siglo XXI, Quo vadis iustitia?

Actas de la Jornada "EL PROCESO PENAL DEL SIGLO XXI: QUO VADIS IUSTITIA?", celebrada en la Facultad de Derecho de Jerez de la Frontera, de la Universidad de Cádiz, el 24 de Abril de 2015.Quo vadis iustitia? La pregunta persigue que tanta reforma como se persigue se detenga un momento para responder y, con ello, para pensar sobre el modelo de justicia que se está diseñando. Ya han sido muchas las voces que han hablado de la legislación “galopante” o “motorizada”, o que han usado variados calificativos para referirse al frenesí en la productividad de nuestras cámaras legislativas. Si esto es algo que puede llegar a provocar inseguridad jurídica, debemos pensar que, cuando de lo que se trata es de las normas que afectan a la justicia (orgánicas y procesales) lo que se puede llegar a provocar es una alteración en el equilibrio de los poderes del Estado. No se puede dejar de lado que el funcionamiento de la justicia tiene que ver con uno de los poderes del Estado, el cual, precisamente, debe constituir el fiel que refleje el equilibrio entre los demás, aunque Montesquieu ya no esté muy de moda. La jornada s centra en algunos aspectos de la reforma del proceso penal.Área de Derecho Procesal, Facultad de Derecho Universidad de Cádiz Casa de Iberoamérica (Ayunatmiento de Cádiz) Gestiona: FUECA Proyecto Investigación MINECO DER 2011-26954Documento PDF con 232 páginas

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Nutrición parenteral domiciliaria en España, 2019: informe del Grupo de Nutrición Artificial Domiciliaria y Ambulatoria NADYA

RESUMEN Objetivo: comunicar los datos de nutrición parenteral domiciliaria (NPD) obtenidos del registro del grupo NADYA-SENPE (www.nadyasenpe.com) del año 2019. Material y métodos: análisis descriptivo de los datos recogidos de pacientes adultos y pediátricos con NPD en el registro NADYA-SENPE desde el 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre de 2019. Resultados: se registraron 283 pacientes (51,9 %, mujeres), 31 niños y 252 adultos procedentes de 47 hospitales españoles, lo que representa una tasa de prevalencia de 6,01 pacientes/millón de habitantes/año 2019. El diagnóstico más frecuente en los adultos fue “oncológico paliativo” y “otros” (21,0 %). En los niños fue la enfermedad de Hirschsprung junto a la enterocolitis necrotizante, las alteraciones de la motilidad intestinal y la pseudoobstrucción intestinal crónica, con 4 casos cada uno (12,9 %). El primer motivo de indicación fue el síndrome del intestino corto tanto en los niños (51,6 %) como en los adultos (37,3 %). El tipo de catéter más utilizado fue el tunelizado tanto en los niños (75,9 %) como en los adultos (40,8 %). Finalizaron 68 episodios, todos en adultos: la causa más frecuente fue el fallecimiento (54,4 %). Pasaron a la vía oral el 38,2 %. Conclusiones: el número de centros y profesionales colaboradores con el registro NADYA va incrementándose. Se mantienen estables las principales indicaciones y los motivos de finalización de la NPD

Effectiveness of a strategy that uses educational games to implement clinical practice guidelines among Spanish residents of family and community medicine (e-EDUCAGUIA project):A clinical trial by clusters

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias FIS Grant Number PI11/0477 ISCIII.-REDISSEC Proyecto RD12/0001/0012 AND FEDER Funding.Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed with the aim of helping health professionals, patients, and caregivers make decisions about their health care, using the best available evidence. In many cases, incorporation of these recommendations into clinical practice also implies a need for changes in routine clinical practice. Using educational games as a strategy for implementing recommendations among health professionals has been demonstrated to be effective in some studies; however, evidence is still scarce. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a teaching strategy for the implementation of CPGs using educational games (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) to improve knowledge and skills related to clinical decision-making by residents in family medicine. The primary objective will be evaluated at 1 and 6months after the intervention. The secondary objectives are to identify barriers and facilitators for the use of guidelines by residents of family medicine and to describe the educational strategies used by Spanish teaching units of family and community medicine to encourage implementation of CPGs. Methods/design: We propose a multicenter clinical trial with randomized allocation by clusters of family and community medicine teaching units in Spain. The sample size will be 394 residents (197 in each group), with the teaching units as the randomization unit and the residents comprising the analysis unit. For the intervention, both groups will receive an initial 1-h session on clinical practice guideline use and the usual dissemination strategy by e-mail. The intervention group (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) strategy will consist of educational games with hypothetical clinical scenarios in a virtual environment. The primary outcome will be the score obtained by the residents on evaluation questionnaires for each clinical practice guideline. Other included variables will be the sociodemographic and training variables of the residents and the teaching unit characteristics. The statistical analysis will consist of a descriptive analysis of variables and a baseline comparison of both groups. For the primary outcome analysis, an average score comparison of hypothetical scenario questionnaires between the EDUCAGUIA intervention group and the control group will be performed at 1 and 6months post-intervention, using 95% confidence intervals. A linear multilevel regression will be used to adjust the model. Discussion: The identification of effective teaching strategies will facilitate the incorporation of available knowledge into clinical practice that could eventually improve patient outcomes. The inclusion of information technologies as teaching tools permits greater learning autonomy and allows deeper instructor participation in the monitoring and supervision of residents. The long-term impact of this strategy is unknown; however, because it is aimed at professionals undergoing training and it addresses prevalent health problems, a small effect can be of great relevance. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02210442.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España en 2016. Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social

En su quinta edición, el Informe “El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España 2018” le ofrece una síntesis, que por concreta no es menos rigurosa, de los principales hitos por los que ha transitado el iuslaboralismo a lo largo del último año. En concreto, en las páginas que siguen, los expertos integrantes de la Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social (AEDTSS) analizan para usted, en primer lugar, las principales resoluciones europeas y nacionales en materia de igualad y no discriminación, acoso en sus más diversas manifestaciones, liberad religiosa y libertad de expresión. Asimismo, se abordan también las cuestiones relativas al empleo y la contratación, casi monopolizadas por el impacto de las plataformas y las consecuencias del caso de Diego. En materia de vicisitudes, sin perder importancia el despido colectivo, observará un cierto auge de los casos relativos a sucesión empresarial, movilidad funcional y empleo público. En el ámbito del derecho colectivo, además de analizarse el IV AENC, encontrará un estudio pormenorizado de las principales resoluciones en materia de libertad sindical, representación unitaria y ultraactividad. La sección relativa a conciliación y corresponsabilidad incluye este año como novedad un apartado relativo a violencia de género, al hilo de los avances normativos derivados del Real Decreto-ley 9/2018. Los epígrafes concernientes a la protección social y la prevención de riesgos laborales crecen de forma significativa en esta edición, lo que ha permitido abordar la evolución jurisprudencial para buena parte de las prestaciones y riesgos previstos en la Ley. Por último, las expertas del apartado de derecho procesal se han encargado de revisar a fondo los casos más significativos en el marco de las modalidades procesales especiales, con especial hincapié en el ámbito concursal. También han abordado la jurisprudencia constitucional más reciente sobre el de recurso de reposición. En suma, tienen ante usted un trabajo científico consolidado en el tiempo y sólido en cuanto al contenido, fiel reflejo de, a pesar del difícil contexto, el buen hacer de la joven doctrina iuslaboralista española. The fifth edition of the report, "Labour and Social Security Law in Spain in 2018" analyses the key issues in the changing scenario of Labour Law and Social Security during last year. Elaborated by the Young Scholars’ Section of the Spanish Association of Labour and Social Security Law focuses on the following thematic blocks: non-specific fundamental rights; employment contracts and employment; issues related to employment relationship; collective rights; equality and co-responsibility; occupational risks prevention; and procedural law. In conclusion, you may find here a concrete but detailed analysis of the the main legal and case law novelties of Spanish Social Law